


The Line Between Dreams And Reality

by warriorblood1



Category: Danganronpa
Genre: Gen, Slow Burn, Trans!Makoto, but its not mentioned much, junko is a bitch, makoto is "insane", non-despair, technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-19 11:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 13,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8204386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorblood1/pseuds/warriorblood1
Summary: His dreams are his reality, and reality is a dream.Nobody believes him when he says the world ended.





	1. It's A Barrier.

     Nobody believes him when he says the world ended.

Thinking back on it, he shouldn't have said anything. Life would've been better. He saw how it would turn out anyhow. It'd would all be okay...eventually.

When he was fifteen, he got a letter from Hope's Peak Academy. He was that years Ultimate Lucky Student.

That night, he had a dream. In very vivid detail. That school meant trouble.

That school caused the world to end.

He woke up in a cold sweat. Surely it meant nothing, he was just nervous to be going to such a prestigous school! The dream meant nothing.

They got progressivley worse.

Him and 15 others were trapped in a school. A bear forced them to kill eachother.

A pop star.

A model.

A baseball player.

A programmer.

A biker.

A hall monitor.

A doujin author.

A gambler.

A martial artist.

A soldier.

A model.

He nearly died as well, but him and five others managed to escape at the end of his dream.

A detective. An heir. An author. A swimmer. And a fortune teller.

A week before he was supposed to go to the school, he told his parents. He told the school board. They all became concerned.

The psychologist said he was insane.


	2. It's Dark.

     They sent him to a hospital to try and get him help, but he knew. He knew that he was right. He knew the world was going to end because of that school. But nobody believed him.

His dreams continued. They were like a story.

Him, the heir, and the detective went to an island with a group of other people around his age.

He put them in a simulation, along with an AI. The same thing that happened with him happened with them.

He watched them die one by one.

An imposter.

A cook.

A photographer.

A swordswoman.

A dancer.

A musician.

A nurse.

A manager.

A breeder.

A lucky student.

A gamer.

A gymnast, a princess, a mechanic, a gangster, and an average person were the only survivors.

His dreamself kept hope that the rest would come back to life, though.


	3. It's Permanent.

     Him, the swimmer, the fortune teller, and the detective were put in another killing game. The fortune teller was stuck outside.

The detective died.

Both of him were incredibly upset.

The difference however, was that his dreamself kept fighting.

The only an animator, a swimmer, a fortune teller, a student council president, and a lucky student survived.

Until they came.

And the detective was back.

Both of him were incredibly happy.


	4. It's Despair-Inducing.

     The dreams continued, but they weren't so bad anymore. He still claimed they happened, and that the world had ended, but still nobody believed him.

Until one day, someone did.

A neurologist and his girlfriend came to visit. They were graduates of Hope's Peak Academy.

The neurologist agreed he was insane.

His girlfriend said she believed him.

All chesire-cat smiles and fluffy twintails, she said she believed him. And she believed that his dreams were causing him despair.

She questioned what would happen to the world if it was real.

That's when he recognized her.

"Junko Enoshima."

She looked surprised when he said her name, and then flipped her hair. "What, you've heard of lil' ol' me?"

"Get out."

"Wh-What!?"

"Get out of here! You're the reason this all happened!! _You_ ended the world!! Now  _get out!!!_ "

They had to send people to seperate them.

She looked more insane than he did as she was dragged away.

He heard rumors of it first. He refused to listen.

Then he saw it on the newspaper headline.

_** ULTIMATE NEUROLOGIST FOUND DEAD ** _

He told himself it was just a coincedence.

Then one of the nurses told him outfront.

"The man who came to visit you with Junko Enoshima, Yasuke Matsuda, he was found dead yesterday. Stabbed in the lung, and then beaten until nearly unrecognizable."

He finally accepted it.

He should've warned him.


	5. It's Unpredictable.

     More deaths of Hope's Peak graduates were reported. He recognized all faces and most names.

Sayaka Maizono. Death by stab wound. Found in her bathroom.

Leon Kuwata. Appears to have been beat to death by baseballs.

Chihiro Fujisaki. Head crushed by a dumbell, and was then strung up in a locker room, Genocider Syo style. He was the most recent death, but not the most unusual.

Junko Enoshima had died. She was found impaled by spears all over her body.

Except it wasn't Junko. He knew this, but nobody believed him.

Until someone did.

She came to visit one day.

He was dragged into the conference room, chained to the table, as usual.

Her face was obsucred by the files she held in front of her.

"Makoto Naegi. You were supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student of Hope's Peak Academy's 78th Class. But you were mysteriously taken out at the last second. And now, here you are, making predictions about the end of the world." The girl finally put the folder down, revealing her pale face, piercing lavender eyes, and long, flowing hair.

"I happen to be a part of that class. My name is-"

"Kyouko Kirigiri." He interupted.

"Hm?"

He shifted in his seat. "Your name is Kyouko Kirigiri. You are, well, you were, the Ultimate Detective. I wouldn't doubt you still are..."

Her face stayed stone cold. "Yes, that's correct. But you could've been told that, or seen it from this file." She held up the folder that had been blocking her face. "If you really want to prove yourself right, you're going to have to try harder."

Makoto looked at the folder in her hand, and then at the table.

"Your gloves are different."

She still showed no reaction. "Be more specific."

He looked up at her. "They're black. Back at Hope's Peak, they were purple with studs on the back. They were very fitted gloves, the ones your wearing now look a little loose. Aren't you worried they might slide down and show your burns? Or maybe you don't care anymore or they healed..." He trailed off when he saw her face. She was surprised. She set the folder down, and leaned forward.

"Who died after Chihiro Fujisaki?"


	6. It's Unbelievable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, mild (very, very mild) gore (if it could even be counted as that)

     Kyouko believed him, but the police didn't. They said a detective of her status shouldn't be taking tips from asylum patients who dream of another reality.

They didn't believe them.

Not even when they were right.

Mondo Oowada, the former Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, was found dead.

Well, presumed dead.

All they found was his bike and his jacket.

And a lot of butter.

Kyouko tried to come and visit again, but she was denied. Makoto wished the security wasn't so tight.

However, Makoto could see her from the cafeteria. He had to give her the information she needed somehow.

There were napkins, but nothing to write with.

Maybe...

Maybe he was insane after all.

Without a second thought, Makoto stabbed his finger with a fork. It hurt like hell, but he'd have to deal with it.

Grabbing a napkin, he wrote as quick and as legibly as he could.

Kyouko was leaving.

He ran to the window and pounded on it.

She turned to face him.

He put the napkin to the window as the guards moved towards him.

She nodded in thanks as he was taken away.

The napkin fell to the floor.

_Kiyotaka Ishimaru & Hifumi Yamada_


	7. Detective Kyouko Kirigiri

     They wouldn't let her in to see him. They claimed that since she had last came, his condition had worsened. They sent her away.

Detective Kyouko Kirigiri knew Makoto was right. Or at the very least, his visions were coming true. Soon enough the world would be sent spiralling into despair - unless something was done to stop it.

 _Junko must have followers_ , she thought. _Otherwise this would've ended when she died. Makoto probably knows..._

There was a pounding to her left. She turned to look, and it was none other than Makoto Naegi.

He put a bloody napkin up to the window.

_Kiyotaka Ishimaru & Hifumi Yamada_

The next victims perhaps? No matter what, they were names to be remembered. She nodded to Makoto in thanks as he dropped the napkin and was taken away.

Despite it all, Kyouko felt a pang in her heart.

Within the week, Kyouko had tracked her old classmates down.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru was in a hospital, recovering from the shock of his two closest friends ~~(likely more than friends)~~ deaths. The three lived and worked together. The man was in ruins - they were all he had.

Hifumi Yamada, on the other hand, was living well with another former classmate of theirs, a gambler named ~~Taeko Yasuhiro~~ Celestia Ludenburg. They were unconcerned with the recent killings.

Barely two weeks later, all three were found dead.

Kiyotaka and Hifumi had their skulls beaten in.

Celestia appeared to have been burned at the stake.

The Detective decided to interview the last few who people who saw the victims.

There was little information gained from Celestia's gambling underground crew and Hifumi's family.

Kiyotaka, on the other hand...

"I-I deal with death a lot, so I-I-I haven't experienced t-too many symptoms o-of shock... b-b-but to find a patient's h-head b-b-beaten in... oh, i-it was terrible!!"

The last person to see Kiyotaka alive and the first person to find him dead was a rather kind yet nervous nurse at the hospital he was staying at.

"Yes, I imagine it was." Kyouko continued the conversation, stone-faced as always.

Suddenly, a rather crazy idea came to her head.

"What did you say your name was, miss?"

She looked up, startled. "U-Uh, um... M-Mikan... M-Mikan Tsumiki.."

"Miss Tsumiki, do you have the authority to send patients to mental wards?"

The nurse was clearly surprised by the question. She thought for a moment. "Y-Yes... I do. Why?"

Kyouko pulled Mikan into a nearby closet.

"I need you to admit me to a mental ward in Kanto. They've prohibited me from seeing a patient that I need information from. Can you send me there, and then visit me at the end of the week so we can discuss if I have the information I need? This is _vital_ to my case."

Mikan was shocked. Who would _want_ to go to a mental ward?!

But... this was clearly important. Taking a deep breath, Mikan nodded yes.


	8. It's Lucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whos hyped for NDRV3 cuz i sure fuckin am
> 
> speaking of, a character from NDRV3 makes a cameo this chapter because the opportunity was too good to resist.

     They tried to put him in solitary confinement, but the Doctors said it was unneeded. He supposed he was lucky.

Lucky...

Luck...

He hated the word. Luck is the reason he's hear in the first place.

He was supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, but instead he was unlucky. He had been unlucky his entire life.

Lucky certainly won't be his way out.

Kyouko will get him out. She'll stop the next murders and prove to the police he wasn't insane, and he'll get out.

Who knows? Maybe he'll still be friends with Kyouko after all this. He'll resume his education, maybe join the police force... he could work with Kyouko! That'd be even better!

But...there was always the chance she'd leave him here after she stopped the murders.

He didn't want to think about that.

It had been a week and he wasn't allowed to have visitors anymore. Not that he got many in the first place. His parents stopped coming after a few years, and Komaru went to college in Towa City, so she only visited when she was in town.

Even Kokichi Ouma was still allowed to have visitors. The Doctors all thought he was _"the craziest out of all of them,"_ probably because he undeniably insisted that he was the leader of a secret society that had no record of existing, yet someone came to visit him almost everyday, and was never stopped.

Normally Kyouko would be trying to come see him by now. He heard from the Doctors that not only Kiyotaka and Hifumi had died, but Celeste had too. She'd be coming back for new information.

But she couldn't come. They wouldn't let her. He'd likely never see her aga-

"Makoto Naegi."

Makoto looked up. Instead of the person who was roaming his thoughts, in front of him stood none other than the notorious Kokichi Ouma.

"Yes...?" He feebly responded. Kokichi smirked. "Did I ever tell you my society was supposed to kill you back when you were in highschool? There's no room for protagonists in this world, you know. Anyways..." He leaned in closer.

"There's someone here for you. A pretty girl with silvery-purple hair, claims she's a detective. Detectives always find a way to cheat death, yanno. I advise you to be careful. But I wonder if you'll listen to me? I am a liar, after all."

Kokichi probably continued rambling to himself, but at that point Makoto wasn't listening. He scanned the room, looking for the only person he could think of that would match the "leader's" description.

Sure enough, across the room, stood Kyouko Kirigiri.

Excusing himself from Kokichi's rambling, he made his way too the detective, and sat across from her.

"Kyouko?! What are you doing here? How'd you get in? They said I wasn't allowed visitors anymore... where did your normal clothes go?"

Instead of her normal outfit, Kyouko wore a uniform similar to Makoto's, which were basically just white pajamas. She still had her gloves, however they weren't the ones she usually wore.

They were the purple-studded gloves from their time at Hope's Peak.

He met Kyouko's eyes.

"Something tells me you already know the answer to your questions, Makoto."

Maybe he was lucky afterall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you guess itd be ouma
> 
> i really like the headcanon that he's lying about his talent, and the theory that he's mentally ill, so i combined the two and kablam


	9. It's (Un)Lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one week later im writin a letter nightly

     Slowly, a week passed. Makoto told Kyouko everything he felt was nessessary - which was just about everything. The next victim would be Sakura Oogami, and she would be hard to get too. Still, they were running out of time. That Friday, Mikan came to visit. Something buzzed in the back of Makoto's mind as they sat with her.

"Mikan, I'd like to thank you for getting me here. I have all the information I need..." Makoto's heart sank. She was going to leave him here, after all this time, after all he's helped her with! "...so if you could please get us out of here, we would appreciate it."

Wait.

Us? We?

She's...

"You're taking me with you?"

Kyouko looked over to him, slightly surprised. "Of course. You've proven you're not insane, and have helped me greatly in this case. Why would I leave you here?"

His heart felt like it might explode as Kyouko turned back to Mikan.

"So, how soon can you get us out? We're in a bit of a hurry."

Mikan was writing a notepad in front of her. "W-Well, in my m-medical opinion..." she put her pen down.

"You are in no condition to leave."

Makoto sucked in a breath. That's where he knew her.

Kyouko narrowed her eyes. "Mikan, we are not messing around."

"Neither I am. You still think you're a detective, and that you can solve this case. And you, Makoto, still believe in the fantasy apocolyptic world you've created. Neither of you have gotten better, in fact, I think you've gotten worse. My point is..." she stood up to leave, and finally looked at them.

"You'll be staying here for a long time."

Her eyes no longer shone. All that was there was the darkness of insanity, of despair.

Makoto finally remembered to breathe.

"Mikan!! Don't do this!! She doesn't love you, she's just using you!! Mikan!!!"

The guards came to take Makoto and Kyouko away. For the second time since he was here, he was dragged away staring at a person who was much crazier than he was. He glanced over to Kyouko.

She wasn't fighting.

On her face was a look of betrayal. A look of surprise. A look of anger.

A look of despair.


	10. It's Unescapable.

     A few days after Mikan trapped the duo in the asylum, Sakura Oogami was reported dead.

There were two good things about this.

Number one, it mean there would be no more killings. That much was a relief.

Number two, it snapped Kyouko out of her despair-induced daze. Ever since Mikan left them she seemed lost in thought, and was mostly unresponsive.

"So she's dead?" Kyouko asked when Makoto told her. He solemnly nodded. She glared at the table. "Interesting."

"What do you mean?" He asked, unsurprised. Of course she'd think of something.

"According to your dreams, Sakura commited suicide in the mutual killings. The news claims she was murdered, but they may just be covering. The question is, was she actually murdered, or somehow tricked into commiting suicide? There's no way this was a coincidence..."

Makoto sighed. "If only we could get out of here, we could find out..." Kyouko frowned. "If they would just let me make a call, I know someone who could probably get us out...maybe we could steal one off a guard..." Makoto chuckled. "I don't think the guards even have phones. I guess that plan's out the window..."

Makoto trailed off.

Out the window.

_The window._

"The windows don't open, Makoto. You and I both know it wouldn't be that simple." Kyouko cut into his thoughts and Makoto sighed.

"Yeah, I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you makoto? do you really?


	11. It's Unescapable...or is it?

     Makoto Naegi was a lot of things. Insane was not one of them.

Detective Kyouko Kirigiri wasn't insane either. She was analytical, precise, a critical thinker, yet somehow...

She let herself get tricked. She trapped them both.

Kokichi Ouma was one of the many inmates at the asylum. Him and Makoto had an almost-friendship. Unfortunately, he was very small and not very strong. Not to mention hard to manipulate.

He was the manipulator, not the manipulated.

That's how he made an assortment of bodyguards out of burly, easy-to-trick inmates. He was a king. ( _Supreme Ruler_ , he'd correct her.)

Him and his lackeys had a table they took over in the cafeteria that was right in front of the window into the main enterance.

Kyouko and Makoto had made many plans over the last few days, all of which were discarded. Makoto was beginning to give up hope.

Kyouko had a plan.

It would end in one of three ways.

Number one: it works, and they escape.

Number two: it doesn't work, they get caught, and never see the light of day again.

Number three: they get caught, get in trouble but nothing else happens, and its back to the drawing board.

Obviously, the first was the best outcome.

Makoto sighed and rested his chin on the table. Behind them, Kokichi and his clan were talking loudly.

"Bullshit!! I could benchpress boss more than you!!"

"I doubt that. I was voted Strongest in highschool."

This was the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Standing up, she walked over to the two that were argueing.

"Ahem." They looked towards her. "I happened to overhear your conversation. I have a way you could settle this, without the risk of harming Kokichi."

The two looked at eachother, and then back to her.

"Ain't you the detective who always hangs out with that weird kid who sees the future?" One asks.

"His _name_ is Makoto, and I am a detective, yes." She nodded. The two laughed.

"Alright, missy. What's this great idea of yours?"

Kyouko pointed to one of the chairs.

"Whoever can throw the chair harder is stronger."

The two paused. "Uh, what are we supposed to throw it at."

"The window, of course."

They paused.

"We'll get in trouble if we break the window." One said.

The other scoffed. "The window can't break, stupid."

Another arguement sparked, and before long they had agreed to Kyouko's test. She stood back, near Makoto.

"What are you doing?" He whispered. "If the guards find out you made them do this..." Kyouko turned to him and smirked.

"It'll be fine, Makoto. Have some faith."

The first guy picked up a chair and chucked it at the window at full force. A large crack filled the space of where it landed, and he laughed.

The other guy, the one who claimed the window couldn't break, threw his chair. It came a little too close to Makoto and Kyouko.

The next thing he knew, Makoto was on the ground, and a shattering noise could be heard above him. Shards of glass surrounded the area.

A siren went off.

Guards filled the room.

Suddenly, he was on his feet, and someone was pulling him through the crowd.

"Makoto!!" He turned, and saw Kyouko in the red light. "Run!"

The duo ran through the crowd, towards the now-broken window, and lept through to the other side.

Heart pounding, they raced out the door, hearing guards chasing after them, and Makoto felt himself being pulled along.

It felt like they ran for days, but it was probably only an hour or so. They were in some sort of field, catching their breath. Makoto couldn't remember when they got there.

"Kyouko... how did you... how did you know that would work...?"

Kyouko stayed silent for a moment, catching her breath, before turning to him.

"I didn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha thats not how asylums work


	12. We're Not Safe Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the short chapter, ive been busy with my comic and with school stuff.
> 
> enjoy!!

     The two spent the night in the field, laying in the tall grass, looking at the stars. They woke up huddled together. It was warm.

...It was nice.

The two sat up, and debated on what to do next.

Going to the police to report Mikan was a no-go.

Going back to the asylum was the _last_ thing on their minds.

Komaru was out of town, and Makoto's parents likely wouldn't believe them...

And Kyouko's dad had been missing since before Sayaka's murder...

Suddenly, Kyouko stood up, dragging Makoto with her. He gave her a puzzled look.

"We need to find a place we can make a call. We have no money, so hopefully we can find enough to use a phonebooth, but if not, then maybe we can borrow a phone from someone..."

She explained, mostly to herself, as they walked out of the field. Makoto was suddenly aware that they still only had their uniforms from the asylum, but Kyouko didn't seem to mind at the moment, despite the danger of someone realizing they were inmates.

After a bit of walking, the two found themselves in a city. They got some strange looks, but other than that they were ignored.

Makoto, lucky him, managed to find enough change on the ground for them to make a call on a phonebooth.

Kyouko dialled a number, and Makoto waited beside her.

"Hello. It's Kyouko...Stop. Stop talking, this is important. Don't call me that. Because you're my only option. Shut up and listen for two minutes, will you? Good, now. I'm not sure what city we're in, but it shouldn't be hard for you to find out. Don't tell anyone you're coming, but come and pick us up, and take us to my house. We'll be waiting at- no, not at the police station, that's why I said not to tell anyone. Oh, you're taking that car? Then it doesn't matter where we'll be, we'll find you. Just keep an eye out for us. ...You better not screw this up. Goodbye."

She glanced at Makoto, and started walking again. He caught up quickly.

"So... who was that?"

"No one of any importance. But... he's someone I can trust, and he's coming to pick us up." She explained, and then there was a moment of silence between the two of them.

Kyouko stopped, and had an expression that showed she just mentally facepalmed.

"I should've asked him to bring us a change of clothes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oowoo
> 
> i wonder who kyouko called?
> 
> also, is it just me, or is the title of this chapter different from the rest?


	13. Guardian Angel...?

     He told no one. He grabbed the things he needed and went. Nobody asked. Everyone figured his wife must've needed something, but he didn't even tell _her_ the whole truth.

Ever since Jin Kirigiri died, he had taken it upon himself to be a sortof "guardian angel" to Kyouko. When she needed help, he would come, quick as a flash.

Koichi Kizakura, a former scout for Hope's Peak, was now on his way to Nikko, in Kanto region.

Which was quite a ways from where he was.

But that wouldn't stop him. Nothing would, not for long.

After several hours of driving, he reached the city and turned on the lights of his car. Not just because it was dark, but because that was how Kyouko would be able to spot him.

The lights on top of the car started spinning like a disco ball. Purple and blue and yellow reflected onto the buildings around him.

As Kyouko expected, it did not take long for her to find him.

What Koichi was not expecting was there to be a boy with her.

Kyouko got into the backseat with the boy as Koichi turned off the cars lights.

"So," he said when they started driving, "could you give me some more backstory to this? Starting with who that boy is?"

Said boy looked down at his bare feet while Kyouko looked at Koichi through the rear-view mirror.

"Koichi, this is Makoto Naegi. Makoto, this is my father's old friend, Koichi Kizakura. He used to be a scout for Hope's Peak."

Makoto looked up, smiled, and waved. Koichi smiled back through the mirror.

"Nice to meetya, Makoto. Now, why are you two in those boring PJs?"

Kyouko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while Makoto looked back down at his feet.

"It's a long story, Koichi."

Koichi laughed, and pushed his fedora up further on his head.

"Kyouko, we've got all night, and you know I'll never tell."

Kyouko shook her head once more, glanced over to Makoto, and looked back at Koichi through the mirror again.

"Remember when I was telling you about the murders of my old classmates?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few people called it as koichi, so good job to you guys. also, sorry for how long it took me to get this up, im learning to drive and ive been busy with school. i wrote this instead of doing my math homework.
> 
> anyways thanks everyone


	14. Welcome Home.

     Makoto was woken up hours later by Kyouko. He snapped to attention immediatley.

"We're here." was all she said as they got out of the car.

The driver, Koichi, drove off after they got out.

"Where are we?" Makoto asked as the two of them walked up to the front door. Kyouko motioned him to step back.

"Sorry, but you'll definatley set off the alarm. Let me do this, it won't take long."

A few moments later there was a beeping noise and a click as Kyouko opened the door and gestured for him to come inside.

"Um, I guess I'll just ask again, but where are we exactly?"

Kyouko started taking various things out of cupboards and cabinets. "This is my house. I inherited it after my grandfather died. In other words," she turned on the stove, "this is the Kirigiri Mansion. Feel free to look around, but try not to break anything."

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Making dinner, obviously."

Makoto walked around the ground floor of the house, finding many antiques and a very large living room with a fireplace.

He found several locked rooms on the second floor, and the stairs to the attic. The attic door was also locked.

When he went back downstairs, Kyouko was about finished with dinner.

"Hey, how is the food still fresh, and the house clean? You haven't been here for at least a couple weeks..."

Kyouko smirked a bit as she set the table.

"You think I live alone?"

A woman in an apron walked in as Kyouko finished setting the table.

"Ah, Master Kirigiri, welcome back. Who is this?" She asked.

Kyouko smiled at her. "Kirumi, have dinner with us, will you? Makoto, this is Kirumi Toujou, the maid of the house. Kirumi, this is our guest, Makoto Naegi."

"Uh, nice to meet you..." Makoto trailed off. Weirdly enough, Kirumi seemed rather intimidating.

Nonetheless, the maid smiled. "Nice to meet you as well, Master Naegi." She then turned Kyouko. "May I help with dinner?"

The two of them discussed dinner and the things that happened while Kyouko was away, and Makoto sat there quietly.

He had a lot on his mind.

Not just the murders and his escape from the asylum, but also his newfound friendship with Kyouko.

She didn't abandon him, and now he's staying at her house, but what happens once the murders are solved?

Where will he go?

He could go to Towa City and live with Komaru, but...

Makoto decided he would just enjoy Kyouko's company while it lasted.

And in this moment, he would enjoy the dinner she made. He hadn't eaten in nearly two days. Nutrition is important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy april fools! yes this is a legit chapter. my present for you is kirumi. your welcome.


	15. Sixteen.

     Makoto had been living with Kyouko and Kirumi for a little over a month now. Both of them had confronted him about his binder, which was a hassle _("Master Naegi, do you mind if I ask what this is for?")_ , and the information put on his wanted poster _("Makoto, I have a theory about this, but could you tell me why your poster refers to you as a girl?")_ but in the end they both accepted it.

They had all been working hard to find the mastermind behind the murders of their classmates, but unfortunatley there weren't any leads.

Mikan had dropped off the face of the Earth, so they couldn't interrogate her.

Most of their classmates were dead, so they couldn't talk to them.

Even Makoto was running out of answers.

"I mean, things have been playing out pretty similarily compared to by dreams, but Junko being alive seems a little out there. We checked the corpse, and it was definatley her...right?"

Kyouko decided to resort to desperate measures.

She just prayed he would answer.

"Togami Household, do you have an appointment?"

"No, I don't. But I need to talk to Byakuya, now. It's incredibly important."

"I'm sorry Miss, but-"

"His life is in danger."

"...Miss, I'm sure we have enough defense measures here."

"Tell him Detective Kyouko Kirigiri wants to speak to him, and let him decide."

"...Please hold, Detective Kirigiri."

There was a few minutes of silence as Kyouko waited for him to pick up. It was agonizing.

"Kyouko."

"Byakuya, I need you to come to my house."

"Why on earth would I do that? I'm sure you know how busy I am."

"I'm sure you can put whatever it is on hold. This is about the murders of our old classmates. I want to be able to keep an eye on you all, and I think you all may be able to help me."

"Help you how?"

"Are you blind, Byakuya? All the murders are connected to eachother, obviously, but we are connected to them as well. I'm sure we all know things that the rest of us don't and I don't want to risk that information being discovered by others who might be listening in on our conversations."

"My line is private, and I know yours is as well, Kyouko."

"This person was smart enough to kill most of our classmates, all in unique ways, and not be caught. I'm sure they're smart enough to tap into our phone lines."

There was a pause from the other line, and then a sigh.

"I can be there in two days."

"Good. One more thing. Are you still in contact with Toko? I know she gave you her new number."

"...I'm sure I can find a way to contact her."

"Good. Tell her to come as well. I'll see you in two days."

Kyouko hung up before Byakuya could protest. If he backed out of this she'd drive to his mansion and drag him here herself.

The next day went by as normal. Kirumi prepared rooms for their guests and Makoto and Kyouko tried to brainstorm new ideas.

Around six o'clock, Kirumi knocked on the study door.

"Master Kirigiri, Master Naegi, pardon my interruption, but someone is at the door."

"Tell them to come in, please."

Kirumi left, and a minute later was replaced by another figure at the door.

"Kyouko? Who is that? Is he a threat?"

The duo turned around to face the new person.

Kyouko gave a small smile and stood up.

"Ah, it's you. I wasn't expecting you to be back until December." Kyouko walked towards her, leaving Makoto confused.

"Welcome back, Mukuro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there we go, the tiny bit of trans makoto i mentioned in the tags. prepare for this to never be mentioned again.
> 
> also brace yourselves for togami. what an ass.
> 
> thats all the important stuff in this chapter, nothing else


	16. It's Back.

     "Makoto, this is Mukuro Ikusaba. She's-"

"Junko's sister. The Ultimate Soldier, the secret 16th student..."

"Well, I wouldn't say secret. But yes, she is Junko's sister and the Ultimate Soldier."

Makoto stood up abruptly, causing his chair to fall backwards. "Kyouko, she works for Junko! She's part of the Ultimate Despair!"

"Ultimate Despair?" Mukuro looked confused. Kyouko, of course, kept her head.

"Makoto, Mukuro doesn't-"

" _She's supposed to be dead!!!_ "

The room went quiet. For a moment, nobody moved, until Kyouko stepped forwards.

"Makoto," she started, "I wanted to tell you this later, but now will have to do." Makoto looked at her, worried and afraid. "I'm sure you've noticed, but there have been inconsistencies between your dreams and our reality."

Makoto swallowed his breath. "I know. I mean, the fact that the body is _actually_ Junko is an obvious one... and Chiaki Nanami being alive, there being no known Izuru Kamakura, the Reserve Course students and Student Council being alive and well..."

"Wait." Mukuro interrupted. "What do you mean, 'the body is actually Junko?'"

Kyouko didn't turn around. "Makoto." He snapped to attention. "I think you should tell her." He sighed, but nodded. Kyouko sat down and motioned for Mukuro to do so as well.

"Uh...you might want to hold onto your knives, Mukuro... this is quite a story."

An hour later, the story of Makoto's dreams into another reality is completely on the table, and Mukuro is visibly shocked. Visibly confused. Visibly _afraid_.

"N-No...there's no way my sister is dead! She may not seem like it, but she's much tougher than she looks, I swear it!" She cried.

"Mukuro... I'm sorry. But there's no way that corpse isn't Junko. Kyouko checked it herself, right Kyouko?" He turned to the Detective, and she nodded.

"No!" Mukuro slammed her hands on the table and stood up. She was being uncharacistically emotional. "I won't believe it until I see it myself. I want to see the body."

Stealing a glance over to Kyouko, Makoto saw that she had her "pondering" look on. After a moment, she stood up and left the room.

Mukuro sat back down and looked ashamed. Makoto decided to just sit quietly and avoid eye contact.

"How long have you been living with Kyouko?" Mukuro asked out of nowhere.

"Uh... a few months..." He answered hesitantly. Mukuro nodded. "I started living here after Junko started throwing parties in her own honor every weekend. That was... three years ago, I believe. Kyouko and Kirumi didn't mind because I was always off at Fenrir."

Makoto nodded politely, and another moment of silence passed over the two.

"...I hadn't even heard about the murders before you told me," she muttered.

Makoto looked up, empathy in his eyes. "I... I'm sorry you had to hear it from me. I imagine it must be tough... I didn't even know them, not outside those nightmares anyway."

Mukuro didn't respond. They settled back into silence.

Soon after—though it felt like much longer—Kyouko came back into the room.

"We'll leave for Tokyo tomorrow. That's where her body is being held. Don't bother packing, we won't be there long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look im not dead!!!! sorry that this took so long, i got distracted and i needed to figure out a couple parts of the storyline. on the bright side, we should only have maybe... 3 or 4 chapters left? ~~oh and ill probably have to change the rating whoops~~ but yeah enjoy!


	17. It's...

     They left Kirumi in charge of the house, and Kyouko told her to "let in our guests when they come." Makoto asked if other people were coming, and Kyouko ignored him.

They packed into the car for the nine hour trip to Tokyo. Overall, it was uncomfortably quiet. A couple times Mukuro and Makoto switched from the passenger seat to the back, but Kyouko didn't let anyone else drive.

Makoto was sleeping in the back when he was prodded awake by Kyouko. "We're here, c'mon." She was clearly in a hurry to get this done and go home.

After showing her badge, Kyouko, Mukuro, and Makoto were let in. Kyouko led the way through the morgue.

"Here it is. You take a look at this, Mukuro, and tell me it isn't Junko."

With a press of a button, the drawer containing Junko's corpse opened.

Inside, was nothing.

There was only ice, and a faint outline of where a woman's body once was.

The trio was stunned into silence. After a moment, Kyouko closed the drawer, and they all ran back to the front desk.

"Detective Kyouko Kirigiri. What happened to Junko Enoshima's body?"

The man behind the desk tapped his keyboard and scrolled his mouse for a few minutes before reading to us what was on the screen.

"Miss Enoshima's body was taken for burial earlier this week. Special Intelligence Officer Ryouko Otonashi was the one who picked her up, said she was a family member."

"Ryouko Otonashi?" the three questioned simultaneously. The man behind the desk nodded.

"When and where is the burial taking place?" Kyouko demanded.

The man shrugged. "I don't know. But the Officer did leave this behind, if it helps." He slid a piece of paper across the counter.

It was an address. A warehouse in Yanagawa. Kyouko put it in her pocket. "Thank you." She left without another word.

They piled into the car once more. Makoto let out a timid "Are we going there?" as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yes. But first we have to get home. We're going to take the train to Yanagawa tomorrow morning. We'll be staying there a full day at least, so you might want to pack."

Makoto and Mukuro nodded. They spent the rest of the ride in silence.

But Makoto had plenty of questions.

Was it really a good idea to follow this address?

Aren't Junko and Ryouko the same person?

Even if they weren't, how and why did Ryouko get Junko's corpse?

Something was wrong. Makoto could sense it. But there was no turning back now.

He would do it for Kyouko, even if it risked his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY I KEEP FORGETTING ABOUT THIS IVE BEEN PLAYING TOO MUCH ZERO ESCAPE AND IM READING ALEXANDER HAMILTON BY RON CHERNOW AND IM MOVING SO IM A LITTLE BUSY BUT HEY WERE ALMOST DONE ONLY LIKE 2-3 MORE CHAPTERS WOOHOOO


	18. ...Alive

     When Kirumi told them that someone did arrive while they were gone, Makoto expected Kyouko to hold off on their search for Junko's body.

He was wrong.

Kyouko ordered Makoto and Mukuro to pack what they thought was nessecary, and wait in the living room when they were done.

"We're leaving sooner than planned."

She left before they could ask any questions, and so with a sigh they cooperated.

Makoto didn't really have much stuff to begin with, so he didn't have much to pack. He what he needed within minutes. In his pocket was his letter from Hope's Peak Academy, from nearly a decade ago.

_Makoto Naegi,_

_You have been selected from this years lottery to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78._

_We hope to see you this year._

_Jin Kirigiri, Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy_

Pure luck. He won out of pure luck.

In hindsight, it didn't seem very lucky. That was the year the Reserve Course Riots began, and a year later the Academy was nearly shut down.

And now, most of a graduating class have been murdered.

Makoto sighed. Waiting in the living room was more boring than peaceful, and with Mukuro still preparing there was no one to talk to.

That's when he started hearing the voices.

"...not putting this off. It could be the culprit!"

"I doubt that. Kyouko, it seems like....no reason. ....leaving. Now."

"....w-we have to get back to....there's still a lot to do."

"...orry, Kyouko. Maybe you belong..."

There was a slam after that.

"I know what I'm talking about! And I know that if you leave this house, you'll die!"

It was definatley Kyouko's voice, but it was so... out of character.

Worried for Kyouko, and whoever it was she was talking too, Makoto went against Kyouko's orders and followed the voices to the dining room.

There were three voices all shouting at the same time.

One was Kyouko.

One was another woman, who sounded about the same age.

The third was a man. His voice wasn't deep, but it wasn't high either.

Makoto figured that Kirumi was likely in there as well, but was keeping quiet. As for the other two voices...

They sounded oddly familiar. But where had he heard them?

With a shaky breath, Makoto opened the door and stepped inside. All eyes were on him almost immediately.

"Ah, sorry for interrupting... is everyone okay?" Makoto felt himself shrinking under their gaze with every word.

"W-Who are you?" The other woman asked.

"Makoto, I told you to wait in the living room. We'll be done soon." Kyouko shot her icy glare towards him.

Makoto was about to back out when the man stopped him.

"Don't leave. Who are you? You look... pathetic." He frowned.

It was with that one word, _pathetic_ , that Makoto recognized him.

"Byakuya... you're alive! Wait, of course you are. I don't recall you ever dying in the dreams... I guess I was a little worried Syo got to you or something, heh..." Makoto stopped once he realized he was ranting.

"...Do I know you?" Byakuya asked. Makoto couldn't tell if he was confused or angry.

"Um. Probably not. But I know you. You're Byakuya Togami, Ultimate Affluent Progeny of Hope's Peak Academy's 78th class. Also, the heir to the Togami Coglomerate. In another world you ended up working for the Future Foundation because the world ended. Anyways. I'm going to leave now..." He tried to turn around and run, but there was a hand on his arm with an iron grip before he even moved.

"H-How do you know s-so much about him? A-And what the hell are you talking about, some o-other world? Are you c-crazy?!" The woman asked him, pulling him further into the dining room.

Her stutter reminded Makoto of who she was.

"Toko Fukawa. Ultimate Author. Also class 78. You stalked Byakuya a lot, and later on you befriended my sister in Towa City. Well, in the other world. Also you have a spli... actually nevermind about that part. Point is I know who you are too. And I know that sounds creepy but I'm sure Kyouko can explain it. So like I said, I'm going to go now..." Once again, Makoto tried to leave the room, only to see the door had closed and Kyouko was standing in front of it.

"I was trying to avoid having to explain that. We have to get going. Now you've lost us time." She shook her head. "You explain it to them. You got them into this anyways."

"Um..." Makoto looked back over to Byakuya and Toko, who were waiting impatiently.

He tried to compress it as much as possible, and managed to tell the story in about half an hour.

Byakuya seemed curious, but Makoto could see in his eyes that he was scared.

Toko was more obviously worried, and began wandering around the room muttering to herself.

"Now you know why we need you to stay here, and why we needed you to come in the first place." Kyouko spoke up. "It's very likely there are followers of Junko out there, looking to kill the two of you, as well as the other survivors. If you stay here, you'll be safe, and you'll be able to help us find the culprit."

Neither of the guests spoke. Kyouko and Makoto moved to leave.

"Makoto."

He turned around at the sound of his name.

"How long have you been having these dreams again?" Byakuya asked.

"Um... since right after I got my acceptance letter from Hope's Peak. So, about a decade. I stopped getting new information about four years ago, so now they just repeat." He explained.

Byakuya nodded. "Interesting." He didn't say anything else, and Kyouko and Makoto were allowed to leave.

"What the hell were you doing? I told you to stay in the living room." Kyouko asked him when they stepped out of the hall.

It wasn't a casual question though. Makoto could hear her anger behind the question.

"I heard you all yelling. I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. I didn't know who was here.." He looked down.

"I just... I don't want anything to happen to you. These dreams... I was finally starting to believe they were just dreams when Junko came. But they... they were always so real. There were times I woke up screaming or crying. I kept myself awake so I wouldn't have them anymore. The doctors had to give me an anesthetic to get me to sleep sometimes..." He took a shaky breath and held onto his arm.

"I know I seem pretty calm about it, but... I don't want this to continue. I don't want any of this to ever happen again. I don't want anymore people getting hurt, Kyouko, I just want it all to stop, I'm sorry I came after you but goddamnit, I can't help being worried after all you've done for me, I-"

"Makoto." She grabbed his hands and forced him to look at her.

"I know. I know it's hard. I wish none of this had happened to you, or to anyone else. I don't want you getting hurt either. But that's why we need to go to Yanagawa and find Junko's body. Whoever has it is probably an Ultimate Despair. We have to stop them Makoto. Otherwise, the stuff with your sister, and class 77-B, and the Future Foundation, it's going to be real." She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's hard for you. But we need you to be strong for just a little longer. Just another couple days, and then it'll be all over. Okay, Makoto?"

She gave him the smallest, most genuine smile Makoto had ever seen.

He took a fee breaths to calm himself down, and nodded. "Let's get going then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this might be the longest chapter so far. its also probably the shippyest. 
> 
> anyways the asshole duo is here


	19. It's A Lie!

     Kirumi, Byakuya, and Toko were all set at Kirigiri Manor. Makoto, Kyouko, and Mukuro had left for Yanagawa that night.

When they arrived, the trio decided to have lunch before continuing their journey. Afterwards, they had little trouble finding the warehouse that they had been led too.

Makoto still had a bad feeling about all of this. He felt as though they had missed something along the way. Something important.

The warehouse was abandoned. Clearly, no one had used it for years.

It was rather small for a warehouse. Directly in front of them was a mountain of chairs. And sitting in one of those chairs...

Was a corpse.

Blood was dripping down the corpses' face and neck, all down their shirt.

Kyouko stepped forward, ready to investigate it. Priority one: identify the victim.

But she didn't get the chance. Because as soon as she reached the chair, the body jumped up.

"It's a lie! Nee-hee-hee!"

"Kokichi?!"

Kokichi jumped and danced around like a child as he laughed. "Yep, it's me! I bet you'd thought you'd seen the last of me, huh? Well, you were wrong! I've been waiting here for you guys for six months! Boy, am I starving!"

Mukuro, having never met the gremlin of a man, was confused. Kyouko was completely unfased.

"We've only been out of the asylum for three months, Kokichi. Not to mention that you'd have starved to death at the three week mark." She explained, obviously annoyed.

Kokichi simply laughed. "Yeah, you're right! I was lying again! You're so clever, Miss Detective. But I really have been waiting for you guys here. I expected you to be here yesterday." He spun around on a spinny chair as he spoke. "So you went looking for Junko's body too... small world, isn't it?"

Makoto finally found his voice and walked towards Kyouko. "Are you the mastermind of this mess, Kokichi?"

Kokichi shook his head no as he continued to spin around. "Nope! I was just curious about your daydreams, Makoto! Who knew it was a big, crazy mystery?"

"We did. Now get out of here, unless you'd rather we turn you in to the police." Kyouko glared. Kokichi stopped spinning and pouted.

"Hey, that's rude. Espically to someone who's helping you out."

"Helping us out?" Makoto asked. "How?"

Kokichi grinned a sly grin. "Why don't I let you guess? I'll give you a hint: I'm an expert at lying."

Makoto sighed, already annoyed. "We don't have time to play your games, Kokichi. If you have useful information, just spill it." Kyouko walked past the boys, towards the back of the mountain of chairs. "Just ignore him, Makoto. He's a waste of time."

Mukuro, still a bit out of loop, followed Kyouko behind the chair mountain. Kokichi pouted.

"Fine, I didn't want to tell you about that weirdo nurse anyway!" He shouted.

Makoto snapped to attention. "A nurse?"

Kokichi grinned and nodded. "She was a total weirdo. Stuttered over every word! That's no way to assert dominance! If I was actually one of her underlings, I could've overthrown her right then and there."

"What did she tell you?" Makoto grabbed a chair and sat down across from Kokichi as he explained.

"Apparently a small group of people are working on some cultist project involving Junko's corpse. The nurse is the leader, though she really shouldn't be. She kept talking about making preparations for company. She may be expecting you all. She went into that back room behind Chair Moutain here." Kokichi explained, spinning around again.

Makoto stood up and was about to thank Kokichi for the information when it struck him. "...How do I know you're not lying?"

Kokichi grinned once more as the chair stopped spinning with a creak. "You can always tell when I'm telling the truth, and that's not a lie! Everything I told you did indeed happen. So why don't you give me some information in return, hm?"

Makoto shuddered at his tone of voice, but it didn't seem like Kokichi was lying. "I will later. For now we're kind of in a hurry. Thank you, Kokichi." And with that he ran off, hearing Kokichi hum to himself on the creaky spinny chair.

Sure enough, behind the mountain of chairs was a door. Makoto figured his compainions must have gone on ahead.

Praying nothing had happened to them, Makoto opened the door and stepped inside.

It was another part of the warehouse. It was bigger, and emptier. The ceiling was a big window.

Kyouko and Mukuro were looking up at the ceiling. It took Makoto a minute to see what they were looking at.

Hanging from a beam above them was a womans body. She was hanging from the beam with a noose around her neck.

It was hard to see from the ground, but the corpse was no doubt that of Junko Enoshima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise! im not dead!!
> 
> also i finished ndrv3 a couple days ago, which is why i decided to bring kokichi back. but dont worry, there will be no spoilers for the game.
> 
> anyways, theres only gonna be a couple chapters left, and im probably gonna have to change the rating or at least put a warning on one or both of them. just lettin ya know now.
> 
> also the next chapter wont talk four months, i promise.


	20. It's Over.

     They saw no point in trying to get the corpse down. It was much too high, and they already knew who it was.

"But why?"

That was the question. Why would the corpse be strung up so high? Why would the culprit do this? Is the culprit even here?

"There's just too many questions," Kyouko decided. "...We should look around."

The trio split up to search the warehouse for any signs of someone else being there, any clues that could take the case further. But they found none.

"Is this really just a dead end?" Makoto asked, mostly to himself.

"Maybe it's a diversion, and there's something going on back at the manor." Mukuro suggested.

Makoto shivered. He didn't want to think something had happened to Byakuya or Touko, or Kirumi for that matter.

"Maybe it's really just.. over? Maybe this really is the end?" Makoto certainly wanted it to be the end.

This is where it was supposed to end. The only Remnant of Despair they had seen since this whole thing began was Mikan, and she was missing. If the other members of class 77-B were Remnants, they'd know by now.

There was no signs of a riot in Towa City.

Hope's Peak Academy was still up and running with no problems.

The Future Foundation didn't exist.

Everyone who was supposed to be alive, was alive.

Except...

"Mukuro..."

How was she alive? How did she not know about any of this? Was it really just a coincedence or...?

"Is something wrong, Makoto?" He heard Kyouko ask.

Yes. There is something wrong. These inconsitencies with the dreams, there's a connection somehow. Mukuro is alive, Chiaki is alive, there's no Izuru Kamukura...

"What is the connection?"

Think. Think-Think-Think-Think-Think.

How are they related?

  
\--------------------------------------------

_"Can you tell me about your dreams? Ignore my girlfriend, I'm afraid she had no where else to go." The man asked. He was a neurologist, here to study Makoto. He brought his supermodel girlfriend with him. They looked familiar._

_"Most of my graduating class died." He began. "We were trapped inside Hope's Peak. It was a killing game. The singer was stabbed in a shower. The mastermind's sister was impaled by multiple spears, she was disguised as the mastermind. The baseball player was beat to death by baseballs..." He continued listing all of the deaths, one by one, until the end._

_"The six of us left stopped the mastermind. She executed herself in a really roundabout way. And then we left Hope's Peak." He concluded._

_The neurologist tapped his pen. "Why did the mastermind do all of this?" He asked._

_The Mastermind's words rang in his ears. Exact words he would never forget._

_**"Despair. That's all."** _

_The neurologist tapped his pen some more. "Well, I think that's enough talking. Mr. Naegi, I believe the doctors here are correct; you are insane. I wish you the best." He left the room._

_Someone sat in the chair across from him._

_She smiled. It looked innocent, but there was malice lurking just beneath the surface._

_"I believe you." She said. "I wonder what would happen to the world if your dreams came true?"_

_All at once, Makoto recognized her._

_"Junko Enoshima."_

\--------------------------------------------

Inhaling, Makoto nearly fell backwards.

"It all makes sense now... I understand!!" He shouted.

Kyouko and Mukuro stood in front of him, startled. "What do you understand, Makoto?" Kyouko asked.

"The inconsistencies. I know why they exist! I know why everything happened the way it did!" He shouted, unable to contain his relief.

"Junko didn't know the whole story."

"What?"

Makoto paced around as he explained. "When Yasuke and Junko came to visit me in the asylum, Yasuke left before I told him the whole story. Junko didn't stay much longer. I only got to the end of the first killing game, I didn't get to say anything about what happened after. Mikan being a remnant of despair is simply coincidence! But more importantly..." he decided to stop walking around and faced the girls.

"Mukuro, is Junko your only sister?"

There was a beat of silence.

"...No."

That one word was the last piece of the puzzle.

"Before I recognized you guys in the real world, I didn't remember your names in the dreams. So when I described the dreams to people I just said 'the Detective' or 'the Soldier.' But, before I knew Mukuro was, well, Mukuro, I called her 'the mastermind's sister.' I didn't mention a name. Junko wouldn't know which sister I meant. And if Mukuro is standing here, then that means.."

He pointed up.

"That corpse is not Junko. It's your other sister."

Mukuro and Kyouko looked equally shocked, but the Detective quickly composed herself. "Mukuro, what was your other sisters' name?"

"...Ryouko Otonashi."

"That's the same name the man from the morgue told us..." Kyouko mentioned.

"Ryouko...worked as a forensic analyst for the police for some time. But she got fired because she was so forgetful. She was staying with...Junko..." Mukuro trailed off.

"Junko isn't dead. She's waiting for the survivors. I told her that the six survivors won against the mastermind, and then the mastermind executed themself in a roundabout way. She's waiting for that final battle. This whole thing-" he gestured to the warehouse, "-wasn't a distraction, it was a clue. But...there's no way she set this up herself. She wouldn't take that risk. Which means there's only one person who could've done this..."

"Mikan."

"Exactly! Now we just have to find her." Makoto ended his rant and spun around, ready to search the warehouse again.

"Looks like I've been found out, huh?"

Oh. That was easy.

In front of the trio stood Mikan Tsumiki, calmly smiling.

"You got me! I'm the one who set this up. But you were off on a few things, Makoto." She giggled.

"It wasn't a coincidence that I became a Remnant of Despair. I've known Junko since before I even met you Kyouko! I've been in on this plan since the beginning!" Mikan laughed to herself again, grinning.

"Junko was cheating on her boyfriend with me. When she heard about Makoto's dreams, she wanted to make them a reality! So, I helped her! It was my idea to kill Yasuke. It was also my idea to kill Ryouko instead of waiting for Mukuro to come back from Fenrir. I was the one who killed Kiyotaka, and I also switched Sakura's protein powder for poison! I guess if you look at it from my perspective, I'm the real mastermind!"

Kyouko stepped forwards, showing her badge. "Mikan, you're under arrest."

The nurse simply laughed, sounding more and more deranged. "Says the detective who came unarmed with nobody who'd believe you! If anything, you should be the one under arrest. You broke out of an asylum!"

Mukuro made a move to grab Mikan, but froze in her steps.

From behind her back, Mikan pulled out a gun.

"This story isn't over yet. I won't let it end like it's supposed too. There will be no survivors this time. So..."

She raised the gun.

"Who's first?"

_** BANG! ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy were in for it now
> 
> so anyways, you mightve noticed that the thingy says theres 22 chapters now. and this is chapter 20.
> 
> see, there was gonna be 21 but this chapter was getting really long so i decided to cut it in half. so next chapter is The End and then chapter 22 is an epilogue.
> 
> i think this might be the longest chapter in this fic. wow.
> 
> thank you all for reading this for over a year. its amazing, and i thrive off of your comments and theories so itll suck to end this.
> 
> stay hopeful, were almost done.


	21. It's Familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

     When Makoto opened his eyes, he expected to see blood coming out of his chest or stomach. He expected to be in pain.

But he wasn't.

He looked over to Kyouko; no blood. Mukuro was fine as well.

He was certain he heard the gun go off. Maybe it missed? He looked to Mikan.

She had a look on her face that said she hadn't missed. An evil smile, like one he had seen many times in his dreams.

But if it didn't hit him, Kyouko, or Mukuro, who did it...?

"Heh...ha ha.." A laugh that sounded much more like a wheeze came from behind Makoto. On instinct, he turned around.

"N...nee-hee-hee... I... I wasn't... expecting... that..." Kokichi stammered out, clutching his chest as blood stained his white clothes.

Makoto wasn't sure how to react.

They weren't exactly friends, but Kokichi hadn't lied about Mikan earlier. He had actually helped them more than hurt them.

And now, he was the one who got shot instead of one of them.

Kokichi fell to his knees with a cough, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth.

Makoto was about to run to help him when his attention was redirected yet again, this time by maniacal laughter.

Mikan was doubling over with laughter, still clutching the gun.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to shoot that guy!!" She yelled.

There was suddenly a flash of black and green, and the next thing Makoto knew Mukuro had stabbed Mikan.

Looking closer, Makoto saw that Mukuro had also taken the gun from Mikan, and was pointing it at the nurses stomach.

"Where's Junko?"

Despite having a knife in her gut and the threat of being shot, Mikan continued her laughter.

"You really haven't changed, Mukuro. You still value your sisters lives over your own. I guess that's what it's like, being the oldest. I wouldn't know, I didn't have any siblings." She rambled.

Mukuro twisted the knife. "Where is Junko?" she demanded.

"Why would I tell you? You just want to get in the way of me and my beloved!" Mikan whined.

Kyouko took the opportunity to step forward, while Makoto finally ran back to Kokichi to make sure he was okay.

The smaller boy seemed to have passed out, but was still alive.

"Who helped you with all this, Mikan?" Kyouko began her interrogation.

"Oh-" a cough, "-just a few people. Probably much less than you think. It was mostly me and Junko. There was also Ibuki Mioda, Kazuichi Souda, that little Towa girl, and a couple of others whos names I don't recall..." Mikan once again gave a rambling answer.

"Oh, and I'd watch your head. Ryouko's corpse is gonna fall soon. I made sure the rope would break after a few hours. I expected you later, and I wanted to shock you with a body falling from the ceiling." She grinned unsettlingly.

Right at that moment, there was a snap.

And Ryouko's body came crashing down.

It fell onto a pile of crates, which broke with the impact.

"I'm done with you, you bitch!

Two loud **_BANG!s_** rang through the warehouse.

Mukuro was standing in front of Mikan, furious, blood oozing from her stomach.

Mikan stood in front of her on wobbly legs, a gunshot wound in her abdomen, and a second gun in her hand.

Mukuro was breifly dazed from Ryouko falling and being shot. She didn't have time to react.

** _BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!_ **

The soldier collapsed to the ground, with three new gunshots in her chest.

The room was silent for a moment.

And then a quiet laughter began. It got louder and louder until it nearly shook the room.

And then-

**_ BANG! _ **

It was silent once more.

Mikan stood over Mukuro, trembling withthe gun in her hands. She looked shocked.

She dropped the gun, and collapsed to her knees.

A trickle of blood trailed down from a bullet hole in her forehead.

She fell to the side.

Now standing in her place was a familiar, twin-tailed face.

" ** _I_** was supposed to kill Mukuro."

Junko Enoshima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy
> 
> remember when I said there was only one more chapter then the epilogue??? i lied
> 
> it got too long again so i split it. again.
> 
> the epilogue will be out by halloween, so the next chapter will be either tomorrow or the 31st.
> 
> uhhh have fun


	22. It's The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. kinda

     Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, the Ultimate Despair, the Mastermind...

She held a gun in her hands, unshaken as she stood over Mikan and Mukuro's corpses.

For once, she didn't have her signature cheshire-cat grin on her face. Instead, she was scowling at Mikan's corpse.

"That was not a part of the plan." She frowned.

Kyouko stepped forward, and Junko immediatley shot her in the leg.

"You better not come any closer. You assholes have ruined the plan enough already." She said, voice unwavering.

Makoto, not listening to the woman before him, quickly ran over to Kyouko.

She grabbed his shoulder, whether to steady herself or to reassure him he didn't know, and addressed Junko.

"If the plan was to recreate Makoto's dreams, then we have done exactly as we were supposed to." The Detective stated.

Junko rolled her eyes. "We abandoned that plan a long time ago. Before Sakura died, even."

"Then.. what was the point of all this? Aren't you looking for a final battle? Don't you want hope and despair to face off?" Makoto questioned.

"Not everything happens like in your dreams, kid." Junko explained. "I didn't do this for despair."

Makoto was... surprised, but not as surprised as he expected to be. Of course she didn't do it for despair in this world. This world was much more reasonable than the dream world.

"Then... why?" Kyouko asked.

"I was bored." Junko shrugged.

"Bored?! That's seriously your only reason!?" Makoto yelled, stepping forward. Junko noticed and shot his leg, making him jump back in pain.

"Well, that was just the main reason." She said nonchalantly, "I was also asked to do it by an assassin cult. Not specifically this way, of course, they just needed most of our class dead for whatever reason and confused me for Mukuro. And I also partially did it for revenge. You wouldn't know, Makoto, but these guys were dicks back in highschool." Junko sighed, obviously bored.

She seemed so confident in herself, so certain of her own motive. But... something just didn't feel right to Makoto.

His thoughts were interrupted by gunshots.

Him and Kyouko had both been shot in the stomach.

"We-!" Makoto coughed, and nearly fell over. "We didn't even do anything!" He cried out.

"Exactly. You guys were just standing there, being boring. I want you to feel pain too." She explained.

Kyouko had been keeping quiet for a while now. Makoto glanced at her as they took a few steps back. Did she know something..?

"You talk an awful lot about boredom for someone with a gun." Kyouko coughed. "Are you sure that's really your motive?"

Junko looked offended. "Of course I'm sure! I already explained myself once, I'm not gonna do it again."

It's not right. That's not right. That's wrong, how it is wrong? It's not right, it's not right, it's not right...

"You wanna know what I think? I think you guys are bored too. Maybe you'll be less bored up in heaven." Junko smirked, raising her gun once more.

"I don't think you're bored." Kyouko spoke.

Junko scowled, and then fired, hitting Kyouko in the chest.

The Detective let go of Makoto's shoulder and fell to the floor.

"Kyouko!!" He cried out, falling to his knees.

"I _am_ bored." Junko said with certainty.

**_ "You've got that wrong!" _ **

Those words vibrated through the room. Makoto was surprised at how loud his own voice was.

Junko looked at him, confused. "How on Earth do I have my own motive wrong?!"

"Because... Because if you're bored, then why are you doing these murders exactly how I described them?"

Junko stood still for a moment, a surprised look on her face.

"Well-"

"Because!" Makoto continued, "It would be boring to just commit murders that someone else planned and executed already, right? It wouldn't help your boredom at all!"

Junko's confused look started to turn into one of disgust and anger.

"I told you. I. Was. _Bored_."

"No, you weren't!" Makoto shouted.

Junko raised her gun again.

"I bet you don't have a reason!" He continued. She started to pull the trigger.

"You don't have a reason because this wasn't your plan, was it?!"

**_ BANG! _ **

A bullet hit Makoto in the chest, and he cried out in pain.

When he looked up, Junko was trembling.

"No! You're wrong! It was my idea! My plan! I'm the mastermind!" She shouted.

"N-No, you aren't!! You are not the real mastermind!" He shouted back.

Junko threw the now-empty gun across the warehouse and grabbed one from Mukuro's corpse.

"Yes I am!" She screamed, and fired again.

One bullet hit Makoto in the shoulder. One grazed his cheek. One hit Kokichi, behind him.

"If you're the mastermind..." Makoto trembled and coughed, "Then what's your real motive?"

Junko did not reply. She just screamed.

"Junko..." he looked her in the eyes. "You are not the mastermind. The real mastermind... is somebody who wanted to get revenge on Hope's Peak and it's students. Someone who wanted to kill me, and Kyouko, and Mukuro, and anyone else in their way. Someone who was hurt, and stepped over all their lives. The real mastermind...is Mikan Tsumiki."

Junko stopped screaming. She stopped shaking. She just... froze.

"It wasn't her who was helping you, was it?" Makoto asked. " _You_ were helping _her_. But now... now you've killed her. Just to keep the image that you were the real mastermind. Or maybe... maybe there's some good in you, and you just wanted Mikan to rest... that's what I hope." Makoto smiled, tired from the yelling and the bloodloss.

Junko was still frozen.

It may have been that his eyesight was getting fuzzy, but he could've sworn that he saw a tear rolling down Junko's cheek.

"...Yeah. You got it. I did it... for my beloved."

Junko raised the gun to her head, and with a smile, pulled the trigger.

The last bullet in the gun went through Junko's skull, and embedded itself in her brain.

In that moment, there was quiet.

An Analyst.

A Supreme Leader.

A Soldier.

A Nurse.

A Detective.

A Fashionista.

A Lucky Student.

Seven people who had all been hurt in some way.

Makoto smiled and laughed. It was finally over. Was it worth it? He doesn't know.

He cradled Kyouko in his arms, and cried.

He cried for Ryouko.

He cried for Kokichi.

He cried for Mukuro.

He cried for Mikan.

He cried for Junko.

He cried for Kyouko, and he cried for himself.

He cried for everyone who lost their lives.

Because in the end, they were just kids. Their lives had only just begun, when they were ended.

And in a way, it was his fault. If he hadn't said anything, then maybe this tragedy wouldn't have happened.

Nonetheless, he cried, until he felt like he couldn't cry anymore.

When suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Makoto..."

Opening his eyes, he saw Kyouko, smiling at him.

"You did it, Makoto." She whispered.

Makoto couldn't help but smile too.

"Yeah... I-I guess I did... but I got everyone killed in the process..." He spoke, voice trembling.

"No... not yet..."

Kyouko grabbed Makoto's hand, and placed it on her jacket pocket. There was something cold and rectangular inside. Makoto took it out.

"A phone?" He asked.

Kyouko nodded weakly.

"The code is... 11037..." she coughed.

Makoto typed it in, and the phone unlocked.

"..call...Koichi..." she whispered.

Makoto, vison blurring, fumbled through Kyouko's contacts until he found one labeled " _Uncle Koichi._ " He pressed call.

Within two rings, someone answered.

"Kyouko!! How are you, how's the investigation? Do you need me to pick you up in the middle of nowhere again?" Koichi laughed. He sounded so... alive.

"Koichi... i-it's Makoto... t-track the phone... bring... bring an ambulance... p-please..."

The phone slipped out of Makoto's hands as he slumped to the side.

The last thing he heard was Koichi over the phone, telling Makoto everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY BEFORE YOU ALL SCREAM AT ME LIKE "WHYD YOU KILL OFF EVERYONE YOU MONSTER" PLEASE REMEMBER:
> 
> THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE.
> 
> but your gonna have to wait till halloween cuz im ending this on halloween goddamnit


	23. It's A New Beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i said i'd end it on halloween, and i kept my fucking promise. its 10:05pm on october 31st. i aint late.

     In all honesty, Makoto wasn't expecting to wake up.

When he did, however, it was in a very white room with a rather uncomfortable bed. It reminded him of the asylum.

Quickly sitting up, Makoto gasped in pain. His chest and stomach felt like they had been shot... they had been shot. Makoto had been shot. Four times.

The room he was in was not the asylum, it was a regular hospital room.

His binder had been taken off, and thank god for that. He didn't want to imagine the pain of being shot and having to deal with a messed up ribcage from leaving his binder on.

There was no one else in the room at the moment, so Makoto laid back down. It seemed safe enough here.

As he laid down, someone entered the room.

"So you're finally awake, Makoto."

In the doorframe stood probably the last person Makoto expected to see; Mukuro Ikusaba.

She stepped inside and continued talking. "You were asleep for five days. I was starting to get worried."

Makoto found his voice and weakly asked, "how are you alive?"

Mukuro looked at the floor. "I wasn't unconcious for very long. Mikan only managed to shoot me because I was to preoccupied with my sisters. I woke up around the time Junko..." she trailed off, but she didn't need to finish. He knew what she was talking about.

Mukuro shook her head. "Anyways, I woke up around then, but I didn't know if it was safe to move. When you called the scout and then passed out, I got up. They still made me rest for a few days, however."

"The scout... you mean Koichi?" Makoto guessed. Mukuro nodded. "Apparently he lives and works here in Yanagawa, so he was able to get to us pretty quick. Still..." she trailed off again, before looking back at Makoto.

"If it wasn't for you and Kyouko, many more people would've died. Including yourself, Kyouko, Kokichi... and... even me, I suppose. I guess... you saved us." She smiled.

Makoto tried to sit up again before remembering how much it hurt and stayed down. "Is...Are Kyouko and Kokichi...alive?"

Mukuro nodded. "Kokichi has been allowed to walk around for a couple days now, he'll probably come visit you at some point. Kyouko is still on bed rest, but she's alive and well."

After hearing this, Makoto finally felt himself relax. They were safe. Kyouko was safe.

Him and Mukuro talked for a bit longer before the soldier left.

Makoto drifted in and out of sleep for a while after that. It was peaceful.

"Hey there sleepyhead!! How're ya doing?"

And away went the peace.

Standing over Makoto was Kokichi, grinning like a child. Makoto could see bandages peeking out from under his shirt.

"What, you have nothing to say? I nearly died to help you guys, yanno." He pouted.

"Sorry... how are you doing?" Makoto slowly sat up as he asked.

Kokichi, glad to have attention, smiled and proceeded to tell Makoto an elaborate story of how, after he got shot, he met God and then woke up with the mission of being Makoto's "guardian angel."

"So long as I'm alive, me and my organization will protect you! It's funny cuz we were actually supposed to kill you all those years ago. But I guess times have changed. Maybe there is room for protagonists nowadays." He grinned.

There was a knock on the door soon after, and before Makoto could respond someone invited themself in.

"Byakuya, Touko... Are you alright?" Makoto immediatley asked.

Byakuya refused to meet Makoto's eyes, but nodded in affrimation. "If anything, we should ask you that. You're the one who got shot."

"Y-Yeah, you nearly d-died, you know..." Touko muttered, messing with her hair.

Makoto smiled at the duo's usual way of doing things. It was rather refreshing, actually.

It didn't take long for Kokichi and Byakuya to get into an arguement, of course, and someone had to come in and send all three people away.

"Don't worry, Makoto! I'm your guardian angel, so it'll be all good from here on!"

"I'm... glad to see you're not dead. We'll be seeing eachother again soon, I'm sure."

"D-Don't do anything s-stupid like that e-ever again!!"

It was another day and a half before Makoto got another visitor.

It was Byakuya, alone. He seemed almost nervous when he sat beside Makoto's cot.

The first thing he said was, "Do you recall me asking you how long you were having those dreams?"

Makoto nodded, remembering when he first met Byakuya at Kyouko's house.

"I had a reason in asking you that." Byakuya sat up straighter.

"You are not the only person who has had those dreams."

"What?"

Byakuya once again refused to meet Makoto's eyes. "I began having the same dreams as you shortly after I recieved my letter from Hope's Peak. However, I wrote them off as simply being dreams. I was even more sure when I didn't meet you at Hope's Peak, but that didn't stop the dreams."

Neither said anything for a moment.

"How did you recognize me?" Makoto finally asked. Byakuya looked up, eyebrow raised.

"Like, for example, I only vaguely remembered everyone in my dreams. It wasn't until I met them in real life that a could put the real person to someone in the dreams. For Kyouko it was when I first saw her, and for Mukuro it was when I heard her name. But for you it wasn't until you called me pathetic, and for Touko it was when she was talking and stuttering a bunch." Makoto explained. "So, uh, how did you recognize me?"

Byakuya thought for a moment. "When you mentioned you were worried about Syo." He decided.

Makoto laughed a bit. "That's an odd way to remember me."

"No, I believe it makes sense. In the dreams, you and Kyouko were the ones who discovered what I did with Chihiro's corpse in the second trial." He explained, rather casually. It was a little unnerving to hear someone talk about murder like that.

They discussed the dreams a little more before Byakuya left.

The next day was when he finally saw her. When his fears were finally exhausted for good.

Kyouko Kirigiri came knocking at his door, walking with a limp and the buldge of bandages visible under her shirt, but very much alive.

She smiled at him before sitting beside his cot.

"Thank you, Makoto."

The boy blushed. "What is there to thank me for? If you didn't tell me you had your phone, we never would've gotten out of there."

Kyouko nodded. "I suppose so, but that wasn't what I was thanking you for."

"Then... what?"

She laughed a bit. "For many things. For having those dreams, because without them who knows how many more people would've died. For being so analytical and discovering Mikan was the mastermind. For helping me at every step of this case. For agreeing to my insane plan to escape the asylum... and, for being alive."

Makoto laughed. "In that case, thank you."

"What for?"

"Everything. For believing me. For giving me a place to stay. For letting me help you, even though it ended with us in the hospital. For giving me hope... for giving me the chance of a new beginning." He smiled.

It was Kyouko's turn to blush.

She composed herself, and kissed his forehead. "You deserve it."

There was a pause in the conversation, but it wasn't awkward. It was peaceful.

Kyouko broke the silence a moment later. "The police wanted to take you back to the asylum, since you are technically a convict."

Makoto frowned. That was the last place he wanted to be.

"So, I had them put you on house arrest instead. Specifically, house arrest at the Kirigiri Manor."

Makoto looked at her, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It was the most I could get them to do right now. But it means that you'll be staying at the Kirigiri Manor under my supervision until they say otherwise. I know it isn't a lot, but... I didn't want you to go back to the asylum." She explained, looking pointedly at the wall.

"No, that's... that's great! That's much better than the asylum, thank you so much!" He shouted before pulling her into a hug.

"I guess now I have another thing to thank you for." He laughed. Kyouko laughed a bit too.

A week or so later, all four people were released from the hospital. Kyouko, Makoto, and Mukuro were to be driven home by Koichi, and were waiting for him to arrive.

"Makoto!! Your guardian angel is here!!"

The trio looked down the hall and saw Kokichi running at them.

"If he's your guardian angel, you won't last very long." Mukuro stated. "You should get a refund."

Kokichi, either ignoring the girls or just not hearing them, bounced up to Makoto, blabbering about his organization and claiming that Makoto was now an honorary member.

"You know, there are no records of this organization of yours ever existing, Kokichi." Kyouko told him.

Kokichi laughed. "Of course there isn't! It's a secret!!"

Not a moment later, a small group of people in clown masks came bursting in to the lobby of the hospital. One of them shouted "Boss!" and pointed at Kokichi before the whole group ran towards him.

The trio coud do nothing but watch as they all ( _gently_ ) tackled Kokichi, talking about how much they missed him and how glad they are that he's alive.

Kokichi quickly introduced Kyouko, Mukuro, and Makoto, and explained how it was now their job to make sure Makoto stays alive.

"Because God told me so!" The boy shouted.

Somehow, Kokichi ended up on the shoulders of the tallest clown, and he waved goodbye to the trio as they all stampeded out the door.

"...Maybe he really does have a secret organization..." Makoto muttered.

Soon enough, Koichi arrived and took them all home, wishing them all the best of luck.

They stood in front of Kirigiri Manor, silent.

"Well..." Makoto started, but found no words to continue.

Kyouko tugged on his hand. "Come along."

"It's time for a new beginning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End.
> 
> Thank you for reading The Line Between Dreams and Reality, I had so much fun writing it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
> 
> To quote Razia's Shadow, "This is my cue of where to leave you. Now it's your story to retell, and pass on. Because an idea is only relevant if it's being thought upon."
> 
> Once again, thank you, and have a happy halloween.


End file.
